National Register Listing
Forty of 84 houses were built during the 1920s, reflecting the city's population growth during this time. The census figures for Bismarck report an increase of 56% in the population. Growth continued during the 1930s but to a lesser extent with 29% of the homes built in the expanded district. Population growth slowed in Bismarck between 1930 and 1940 with growth at 39%. Examination of the streets within the Bismarck Cathedral Area shows an unusually clear picture of blending of architectural and social eras merging into the next within the confines of a geographically small area. In combination with the earlier listed sites in the original nomination, this neighborhood characteristic is intensified.
There existed an uncommonly democratic mix of residents, income ranges, and architectural styles indicative of the economic nature and social development distinguishing Bismarck's early growth. The area served as the area of residence for many of the most prominent and influential figures of early twentieth-century Bismarck, several of whose fame extended far beyond North Dakota's boundaries. People as important and as influential as Clarence B. Little, Clyde L. Young, and B. E. Jones ( lived side by side throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s with neighbors Erick Chesak, a barber residing at 710 N. Washington Street , pharmacist Theodore E. Pavalak at 612 Raymond Street, E. V. Lahr, treasurer of the Board of Education in 1932 and prominent civic leader at 718 N. Washington, and seamstress Mrs. Mary Cram at 112 West Avenue C. In many ways the district with its expanded boundaries, as its past is reviewed via this area's properties, retains its democratic mix today with residents who include judges, carpenters, doctors, teachers, ministers, politicians, state employees, hair stylists, and captains of regional industry.
Buildings within the expanded Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District are smaller in size and less grand in detail than the C.B. Little House or the Byrne House, but are nonetheless bound to the district by intent of development, architectural design, and adjacency. The properties within the district along Avenue C, Mandan, Washington, First, and Raymond streets are predominantly single story or story-and-a-half single family dwellings, of stucco, brick, and wood frame construction.
The Craftsman Style Bungalow enjoyed a long popularity in Bismarck. Examples built as early as 1906 and as late as 1946 are to be found within the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District. The bungalow footprint was nearly square or rectangular, with the greater length running front to back. To accent the desired element of informality, bungalow facades were arranged asymmetrically, with the entrance door set toward one end of the front wall. Front porches were typically set off-center with separate gable roofs. In this area of North Dakota, the open porch frequently associated with bungalows is rare. The house at 519 North 1st Street, is probably the most impressive one in the district, it was built in 1920, and was the home of B. E. Jones, vice president of the Provident Life Company. Incorporated in the foundation is a large light gray fossilized-wood chunk, brought to Bismarck for use in the bungalow foundation by Red Tomahawk, the man reputed to have slain the famous Sitting Bull.
Exterior walls are finished in a variety of ways - rough-hewn stone, natural cobblestone, textured stucco, wood shingles and brick were all used. Interior finishing also encouraged use of natural materials, cobblestone fireplaces are commonly seen. A fine example of stone Craftsman fireplace design is at 716 North 1st Street. Bismarck's stucco bungalows tend to exhibit the utilitarian variations within the Craftsman form. Classically Craftsman Bungalow examples can be seen on Mandan Street at 621, 622, 802, and 832, and 102 Avenue C West.
Variations of a popular Spanish Revival Craftsman theme can be seen in the houses at 831 North Mandan Street, once Dr. Paul Friese's home, at 218 Avenue C West and 112 Avenue E West . The home of George F. Will, of the Will Seed Company and a former superintendent of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, is an exaggerated Spanish Colonial home which, though built in 1949-1950, was designed by Ritterbush in the late 1930's, reflects influence of Craftsman ideas, albeit on a very grand scale.
A very distinctive variation of Craftsman Bungalows is found in the whimsical "storybook stucco" bungalows, some of which incorporate random stone and brick impressions as stucco patterning, arched entryways and extremely steep roof pitches. Houses at 222 Avenue C West, 230 Avenue C West, 709 North Washington Street, 723 North Washington Street, 614 North 1st Street, 723 North Mandan Street and 719 North Mandan Street, the Herman Leonhard House are wonderfully unique structures. The house at 723 North Mandan Street is arguably the most elaborate variation. The year it was built, it was billed as the "House of the Future." The Herman Leonhard family resided for two generations at the 719 N. Mandan Street home which he had designed for them. Of certain interest, given the extreme pitches of the private residence roofs he designed (81), is the fact that architect Herman Leonhard was known locally through his career as a specialist in drafting plans for flat-roof commercial structures. Criterion C would be supported by Leonhard's connection to the district.
A modest variation on the Colonial Revival style seen in the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District is the Cape Cod. The houses characteristically have centered front entries, wood shingle siding and one to one-and-a-half stories, the latter often having dormers. Examples of this style are 603 North Mandan Street, the George Duemeland House and the house of John Zuger, prominent area attorney with Provident Life and a long-time Bismarck city attorney at 301 Avenue C West. A two-story example is 826 First Street, built in 1941.
Special mention must be made of the Clell and Ruth Gannon House, 912 North Mandan Street. This dwelling joins Craftsman elements in a house designed by Gannon himself in a style reminiscent of a 'Norman cottage'. The house is frame with stucco and mortared fieldstone. The iron work in the main front door and the andirons in fireplace came from iron salvaged from the old statehouse in Bismarck. The yard is planted with native species, at the advice of Gannon compatriot George F. Will. Gannon, a noted artist, trained at the Art Institute of Chicago, and also a poet, named his home the "Cairn." The artwork of Clell Gannon can be seen in murals at the Burleigh County Courthouse, the Bismarck High School Library and on the covers of the seed catalogs of the Will Nursery and Seed Company.
The George Will House, 112 Avenue E West is unique within the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District. Designed by Ritterbush in the late 1930's, construction was delayed by World War II. George Will, owner of the Will Nursery and Seed Company, was a Harvard-trained ethnologist, and was responsible for recording many of the rituals, ceremonies and folklore of the Mandan Indians along the Missouri River. He published widely in anthropology journals, and is additionally credited as the father of dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating.
Review of the properties throughout the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District shows the shift from use of horse drawn vehicles for transportation to the rise of importance of the automobile. Few carriage houses still remain in the community in general. The C. B. Little Carriage House is the only example in the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District. Most homes within the district were indeed built during the technological transition to fuel driven vehicles, and hence exhibit structural concession to accommodate automobiles on the properties. Along Avenue C, Avenue D, Mandan Street, Raymond Street, and First Street, the homes were built with stylistically matched garages, attached garages, or carports .
The Cathedral Area benefits from the many trees planted in the boulevards, most of which predate the homes they shade. Tree planting was a method of bringing residential development and expansion to the neighborhood. They were a feature planned in the teens and 1920s to beautify the growing community of Bismarck, Today, the mature trees visually, physically, and economically enhance and help to define the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District. In those early years a uniform planting of the boulevards along Washington Street, Raymond Street, Mandan Street, and Avenues A, B, C, and D was organized. American elms are the dominate landscape feature of the district. Hundreds of them form virtually intact canopies along the streets. The average spacing of the trees is approximately twenty feet. Specific to Criterion C, these trees were planted during a period when the elm tree was a popular choice in urban planting projects in the upper Midwest.
Other trees mix randomly through the area, in yards and on the boulevards. Green ash, and box elder, along with American elm are indigenous to the region and were hardy and sensible choices with an eye to survival and longevity. Several silver maples of great girth survived, but these would have been imported as they are not a native species, and do not normally flourish in the North Dakota climate. Aggressive maintenance has thus far kept at bay the Dutch elm disease which denuded many sister cities throughout the Midwest, and the valiant canopy of elm branches is most impressive along Avenue C, from Raymond Street to Second Street and up Mandan Street from Avenue A to Avenue E. The ambiance of the neighborhood is immensely enhanced by the beauty and uniformity of these trees. The pedestrian traffic through the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District attests to the attraction they create and the comfort they provide for residents and casual visitors of the districts streets. Conscious community planning of such civic leaders as C. B. Little and T. R. Atkinson in the teens and twenties, with a vision of the future beautification of their town is certainly demonstrated in this wise, forsightful use of boulevard space.
The district's namesake, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, is found in the original nomination but deserves further mention. An architectural style constructed in pure form within the district was the Art Deco, found in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and accompanying bishop's residence located at 520 North Raymond Street, and 420 North Raymond Street, respectively. Designed by William F. Kurke of Fargo in the late 1920's, construction was delayed by a lack of funds until 1942; work was completed three years later. Kurke's original design called for an education building to be located between Cathedral and residence. It was not until 1951, however, before the work on the Cathedral Grade School began and the Diocese of Bismarck had, in the meantime, decided to depart from Kurke's plan - the result being a long, low, flat-roofed structure of more contemporary design. In the 1990's a stylistically correct narthex was constructed along east side, creating a gathering space for church events. The Cathedral bell tower is a well-known landmark, easily visible within the community from the hills to the north and east and from the west as one crosses the Missouri River Valley into Bismarck. The structure's physical ominance has been significant enough for the surrounding residential area to be identified with it in the local mind. The residential area to the immediate east of the Cathedral, which at its genesis and for many years thereafter was simply, though meaningfully, identified as "The Hill" is now a portion of that larger area currently known as "The Bismarck Cathedral Area." Local significance of the district:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District (Boundary Increase)
a.k.a. See Also:Cathedral Area Historic District
Roughly along N. First, N. Mandan, N. Washington, and N. Raymond Sts., and Aves. C, D, and E West, Bismarck, NDThe Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District is significant under National Register Criterion A in community planning and development. With very few exceptions the homes within the expanded boundaries of the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District are markers of Bismarck's growth and settlement from 1905-1949. The district is also significant under Criterion C for its architecture. The variety of architectural styles and overall remaining integrity of the buildings within the district provide the City of Bismarck with its most architecturally diverse concentration of residential structures. Remarkably intact, these homes look much the same as they would have when they were first constructed by a progressive-minded era of North Dakotans.
The period of significance for the boundaries of the increased district extends from 1905, the date of construction for the oldest homes, to 1949. Nineteen forty-nine was chosen as the ending date for two reasons:
- as one of the premier homes, the George Will House, is a late example of its style but conforms to the historical architectural styles present in the district. It was built in 1949, and
- stylistically, the ranch house begins a non-historic architectural form and is not compatible with the styles in the district. Ranch houses appeared nationally and in Bismarck in the latter part of the 1940s.
Forty of 84 houses were built during the 1920s, reflecting the city's population growth during this time. The census figures for Bismarck report an increase of 56% in the population. Growth continued during the 1930s but to a lesser extent with 29% of the homes built in the expanded district. Population growth slowed in Bismarck between 1930 and 1940 with growth at 39%. Examination of the streets within the Bismarck Cathedral Area shows an unusually clear picture of blending of architectural and social eras merging into the next within the confines of a geographically small area. In combination with the earlier listed sites in the original nomination, this neighborhood characteristic is intensified.
There existed an uncommonly democratic mix of residents, income ranges, and architectural styles indicative of the economic nature and social development distinguishing Bismarck's early growth. The area served as the area of residence for many of the most prominent and influential figures of early twentieth-century Bismarck, several of whose fame extended far beyond North Dakota's boundaries. People as important and as influential as Clarence B. Little, Clyde L. Young, and B. E. Jones ( lived side by side throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s with neighbors Erick Chesak, a barber residing at 710 N. Washington Street , pharmacist Theodore E. Pavalak at 612 Raymond Street, E. V. Lahr, treasurer of the Board of Education in 1932 and prominent civic leader at 718 N. Washington, and seamstress Mrs. Mary Cram at 112 West Avenue C. In many ways the district with its expanded boundaries, as its past is reviewed via this area's properties, retains its democratic mix today with residents who include judges, carpenters, doctors, teachers, ministers, politicians, state employees, hair stylists, and captains of regional industry.
Buildings within the expanded Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District are smaller in size and less grand in detail than the C.B. Little House or the Byrne House, but are nonetheless bound to the district by intent of development, architectural design, and adjacency. The properties within the district along Avenue C, Mandan, Washington, First, and Raymond streets are predominantly single story or story-and-a-half single family dwellings, of stucco, brick, and wood frame construction.
The Craftsman Style Bungalow enjoyed a long popularity in Bismarck. Examples built as early as 1906 and as late as 1946 are to be found within the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District. The bungalow footprint was nearly square or rectangular, with the greater length running front to back. To accent the desired element of informality, bungalow facades were arranged asymmetrically, with the entrance door set toward one end of the front wall. Front porches were typically set off-center with separate gable roofs. In this area of North Dakota, the open porch frequently associated with bungalows is rare. The house at 519 North 1st Street, is probably the most impressive one in the district, it was built in 1920, and was the home of B. E. Jones, vice president of the Provident Life Company. Incorporated in the foundation is a large light gray fossilized-wood chunk, brought to Bismarck for use in the bungalow foundation by Red Tomahawk, the man reputed to have slain the famous Sitting Bull.
Exterior walls are finished in a variety of ways - rough-hewn stone, natural cobblestone, textured stucco, wood shingles and brick were all used. Interior finishing also encouraged use of natural materials, cobblestone fireplaces are commonly seen. A fine example of stone Craftsman fireplace design is at 716 North 1st Street. Bismarck's stucco bungalows tend to exhibit the utilitarian variations within the Craftsman form. Classically Craftsman Bungalow examples can be seen on Mandan Street at 621, 622, 802, and 832, and 102 Avenue C West.
Variations of a popular Spanish Revival Craftsman theme can be seen in the houses at 831 North Mandan Street, once Dr. Paul Friese's home, at 218 Avenue C West and 112 Avenue E West . The home of George F. Will, of the Will Seed Company and a former superintendent of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, is an exaggerated Spanish Colonial home which, though built in 1949-1950, was designed by Ritterbush in the late 1930's, reflects influence of Craftsman ideas, albeit on a very grand scale.
A very distinctive variation of Craftsman Bungalows is found in the whimsical "storybook stucco" bungalows, some of which incorporate random stone and brick impressions as stucco patterning, arched entryways and extremely steep roof pitches. Houses at 222 Avenue C West, 230 Avenue C West, 709 North Washington Street, 723 North Washington Street, 614 North 1st Street, 723 North Mandan Street and 719 North Mandan Street, the Herman Leonhard House are wonderfully unique structures. The house at 723 North Mandan Street is arguably the most elaborate variation. The year it was built, it was billed as the "House of the Future." The Herman Leonhard family resided for two generations at the 719 N. Mandan Street home which he had designed for them. Of certain interest, given the extreme pitches of the private residence roofs he designed (81), is the fact that architect Herman Leonhard was known locally through his career as a specialist in drafting plans for flat-roof commercial structures. Criterion C would be supported by Leonhard's connection to the district.
A modest variation on the Colonial Revival style seen in the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District is the Cape Cod. The houses characteristically have centered front entries, wood shingle siding and one to one-and-a-half stories, the latter often having dormers. Examples of this style are 603 North Mandan Street, the George Duemeland House and the house of John Zuger, prominent area attorney with Provident Life and a long-time Bismarck city attorney at 301 Avenue C West. A two-story example is 826 First Street, built in 1941.
Special mention must be made of the Clell and Ruth Gannon House, 912 North Mandan Street. This dwelling joins Craftsman elements in a house designed by Gannon himself in a style reminiscent of a 'Norman cottage'. The house is frame with stucco and mortared fieldstone. The iron work in the main front door and the andirons in fireplace came from iron salvaged from the old statehouse in Bismarck. The yard is planted with native species, at the advice of Gannon compatriot George F. Will. Gannon, a noted artist, trained at the Art Institute of Chicago, and also a poet, named his home the "Cairn." The artwork of Clell Gannon can be seen in murals at the Burleigh County Courthouse, the Bismarck High School Library and on the covers of the seed catalogs of the Will Nursery and Seed Company.
The George Will House, 112 Avenue E West is unique within the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District. Designed by Ritterbush in the late 1930's, construction was delayed by World War II. George Will, owner of the Will Nursery and Seed Company, was a Harvard-trained ethnologist, and was responsible for recording many of the rituals, ceremonies and folklore of the Mandan Indians along the Missouri River. He published widely in anthropology journals, and is additionally credited as the father of dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating.
Review of the properties throughout the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District shows the shift from use of horse drawn vehicles for transportation to the rise of importance of the automobile. Few carriage houses still remain in the community in general. The C. B. Little Carriage House is the only example in the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District. Most homes within the district were indeed built during the technological transition to fuel driven vehicles, and hence exhibit structural concession to accommodate automobiles on the properties. Along Avenue C, Avenue D, Mandan Street, Raymond Street, and First Street, the homes were built with stylistically matched garages, attached garages, or carports .
The Cathedral Area benefits from the many trees planted in the boulevards, most of which predate the homes they shade. Tree planting was a method of bringing residential development and expansion to the neighborhood. They were a feature planned in the teens and 1920s to beautify the growing community of Bismarck, Today, the mature trees visually, physically, and economically enhance and help to define the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District. In those early years a uniform planting of the boulevards along Washington Street, Raymond Street, Mandan Street, and Avenues A, B, C, and D was organized. American elms are the dominate landscape feature of the district. Hundreds of them form virtually intact canopies along the streets. The average spacing of the trees is approximately twenty feet. Specific to Criterion C, these trees were planted during a period when the elm tree was a popular choice in urban planting projects in the upper Midwest.
Other trees mix randomly through the area, in yards and on the boulevards. Green ash, and box elder, along with American elm are indigenous to the region and were hardy and sensible choices with an eye to survival and longevity. Several silver maples of great girth survived, but these would have been imported as they are not a native species, and do not normally flourish in the North Dakota climate. Aggressive maintenance has thus far kept at bay the Dutch elm disease which denuded many sister cities throughout the Midwest, and the valiant canopy of elm branches is most impressive along Avenue C, from Raymond Street to Second Street and up Mandan Street from Avenue A to Avenue E. The ambiance of the neighborhood is immensely enhanced by the beauty and uniformity of these trees. The pedestrian traffic through the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District attests to the attraction they create and the comfort they provide for residents and casual visitors of the districts streets. Conscious community planning of such civic leaders as C. B. Little and T. R. Atkinson in the teens and twenties, with a vision of the future beautification of their town is certainly demonstrated in this wise, forsightful use of boulevard space.
The district's namesake, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, is found in the original nomination but deserves further mention. An architectural style constructed in pure form within the district was the Art Deco, found in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and accompanying bishop's residence located at 520 North Raymond Street, and 420 North Raymond Street, respectively. Designed by William F. Kurke of Fargo in the late 1920's, construction was delayed by a lack of funds until 1942; work was completed three years later. Kurke's original design called for an education building to be located between Cathedral and residence. It was not until 1951, however, before the work on the Cathedral Grade School began and the Diocese of Bismarck had, in the meantime, decided to depart from Kurke's plan - the result being a long, low, flat-roofed structure of more contemporary design. In the 1990's a stylistically correct narthex was constructed along east side, creating a gathering space for church events. The Cathedral bell tower is a well-known landmark, easily visible within the community from the hills to the north and east and from the west as one crosses the Missouri River Valley into Bismarck. The structure's physical ominance has been significant enough for the surrounding residential area to be identified with it in the local mind. The residential area to the immediate east of the Cathedral, which at its genesis and for many years thereafter was simply, though meaningfully, identified as "The Hill" is now a portion of that larger area currently known as "The Bismarck Cathedral Area." Local significance of the district:
Architecture
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
About National Register Listings
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.